HP Tamta
Munshi Hari Prasad Tamta was born to Gobind Prasad Tamta and Smt. Gobindi Devi at their Thana Bazar House ‘Hari Niwas’ at Almora on 26 August, 1887 on the auspicious day of Raksha Bandhan. His father Gobind Prasad Tamta and mother Smt. Gobindi Devi gave him the name ‘Hari’. Latter he became famous as Hari Prasad Tamta. He was brought up and educated by his maternal Uncle Sri Krishna Tamta, who was a famous Social Activist and Businessman. He began his crusade against caste prejudices at a tender age of 15. In 1911 a grand celebration was held on the occasion of King George V’s Coronation, where Hari Prasad was denied entry into the Pandal on account of his humble origin. This enraged him and he took a pledge to devote his whole life in the service of the down trodden.
In 1905 he established Tamta Sudhar Samiti, which was latter on named as Kumaon Shilpkar Sabha. He remained its Life long President. This organization was the ‘Karma Bhumi’ of this great Dalit leader who worked for the emancipation of the down trodden throughout his life. Being a graduate and a lawyer, and being financially well off, Munshi Hari Prasad not only commanded respect in the society but succeeded in holding his own amongst his peers hailing from higher echelons of the society. Even the stiff upper-lipped British bureaucrats were wont to keep him in good humour as is evident from the voluminous and continual correspondence between them.
He established nearly150 Primary Schools in Kumaon. In 1914 he established Libraries and reading rooms at various places. He also established Krishna Vachanalaya and Library in 1914. In order to help women he established Mahila Shilp Schools. He also established Hostels for the weaker section of the people. Night classes were also started for the labour class. He organised the Kumaon Shilpkar Sabha and through the Sabha he could pressurize the Government to allot 30,000 Acres of land to the landless Shilpkars. He also worked to provide residential facility and established Hari Nagar and Harikot residential colonies.
The Hill Shilpkars were not allowed to be recruited to the Army. Hari Prasad raised his voice against this discrimination. Ultimately the Government acceded to his request and the Govt. established the Pioneer Regiment for the recruitment of the Hill Shilpkars. Pioneer Regiment gave him the Guard of Honour as a mark of respect at Lucknow.
In 1920 he established the first Hill Motor Transport Company in order to make easy transport available for the people with the help of his younger brother Late Lalta Prasad
The Hill traditional Shilpkars and Dastkars were not called with the dignity they deserved. He raised his voice against it. He wanted the Dalit caste to be named as Shilpkars. The Government acceded to this demand and recognized the rights of these people and officially it was provided that in future they would be called as Shilpkars. In 1932 he was decorated with the title of Rai Saheb by the British Government.
In 1934 he established a newspaper aptly called ‘Samta’ weekly to raise the voice of the poor and downtrodden and with a view to highlight the plight of his brethren. This was considered to be a big leap forward in the field of regional Journalism. Even Mahatma Gandhi was unequivocal and effusive in praising this latest entrant in the field of regional Journalism, and was particularly enamoured of the name-SAMTA. For Munshi HP Tamta, SAMTA was an integral and unalienable part of his larger mission, his alter ego, and as long as he lived he was associated with it in one way or the other. It was his profound vision, his unalloyed self-confidence and resilience coupled with his missionary zeal that enabled SAMTA to evolve into a veritable mouthpiece of Dalit empowerment. This was the time when a new agenda in Dalit Politics of Uttara Pradesh was under discussion stage in 1946-48. The awakened untouchable repeatedly asked the Congress if they could not remove the ‘social evil’ of their own creation without political power, how they expect us (the untouchables) to liberate ourselves without political power’. He remained associated with the discussions one way or the other till be breathed his last. Ultimately the Dalits got reservation, which was provided in the Constitution of India.
Influenced by the work of Tamta, the Shoshit Dalit class of plains depressed class elected him as the President of U.P. Depressed Classes League. He was elected unopposed MLA in the United Provinces (Now Uttar Pradesh) Assembly in 1936 and in 1940 he was nominated as MLC in the United Provinces Legislative Council. His suggestions about Poona Pact and Goalmej Sammlen were appreciated by Baba Saheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
In 1945 he was elected as the President of the Municipal Board and worked in this post for 7 years. This period was considered as the Golden period for Almora Municipal Board. He had the dual distinction of serving as the Chairman of Almora Municipal Board as well as President of District Board, Almora. He had the knowledge of Urdu and Farsi as well. He left for his heavenly abode on 23 February, 1960 at the age 73 leaving behind a void that is yet to fill.
